Raquel and Adam enjoy taking their rescued dogs Dia and Murphy out to the park as an opportunity to further connect with the community of dog lovers.
The Reston Dog Park located on Baron Cameron Avenue has been a favorite spot for local residents, as the location has fostered a growing community of pet owners in Northern Virginia.
Coming to Park to Socialize
Rachel is a local resident who takes her two pets, Roscoe and Casey, to Baron Cameron Park every day. Rachel lets her dogs socialize as she herself interacts with the other pet owners. Rachel believes this is the best park she has gone to, with no need for major change except to make it bigger given how busy it can get on days with nice weather. She praises owners who make frequent visits to the park, as she believes it is important to socialize dogs to improve their behavior.
‘Going Bananas’ at the Park
Libby Jenkins (left) feels blessed to have Rocky (front) in her life, a corgi that is a rescued dog. Through the rescue group Save the Tails, located in Leesburg, Libby was matched with Rocky who was a stray found malnourished in West Virginia. Originally “so skinny he looked like just skin and bones,” Libby has spent the last six weeks since adopting Rocky visiting Baron Cameron Park, and has been pleased with the park which provides water and lots of room for Rocky. Libby continues to visit her local park, knowing how much fun Rocky has spending time here. “He just goes bananas! That’s what counts.”
A Community of Dog Lovers
Raquel and Adam enjoy taking their rescued dogs Dia and Murphy out to the park as an opportunity to further connect with the community of dog lovers. Murphy was found in a dump and adopted by a military family, but once they had to give Murphy up for adoption the dog shelter and rescue group AWOLL Mutts rehomed him with this couple based in Sterling. Dia, a kelpie, is another rescue who was adopted through Angel Dogs. Raquel chose Dia as her pet because of the phenomenon called Black Dog Syndrome. Black Dog Syndrome is a term in the sheltering world to explain reports around the country that black pets have a lower adoption rate due to how difficult it is to clearly see the pets in dimly lit kennels. Raquel cited the difficulty in photographing a black dog such as Dia as an example for why Black Dog Syndrome persists, while she acted upon it by choosing Dia as her pet. Dia has since been a great companion for the happy couple, as she can perform various tricks like rollerblading, closing kitchen cabinet doors, and jumping on backs as pictured above. Visiting this park on and off the past seven years, Raquel and Adam have come to value Baron Cameron Park as one of the better parks they have visited, as Adam prefers the more practical gravel and social community compared to grass parks.
A Place with a 'Community Feel
David visits this dog park every morning and will frequently make a second trip if the weather calls for it. David enjoys socializing with the regulars found daily at Baron Cameron Park, who according to David bring “a community feel” to his favorite park where he takes his 11-month-old dog Brittney. David has made these daily trips for the past seven months, in which he has appreciated the benefits of socializing his dog since coming here as a puppy. David believes it has made his dog better at playing with others, as Brittney is very friendly to visitors of the park, especially during the summer weekends when Baron Cameron Park is filled with families attending youth soccer games on the fields adjacent to the dog park. Little kids come over from the field after playing soccer to play with the friendly dogs abundant at the park on the weekends, while families with tents fill the parking lot and guests indulge in outdoor activities such as mountain biking. David takes pride in the outdoorsy scene that has developed in this Reston dog park, as Baron Cameron Park is the perfect destination for pet owners looking to connect with the Reston community in a dog-friendly atmosphere.